_Bill._ 'Cause why I was kept in. Lock'd up, by gosh! Why, arter dark,
I'd just nabbed this here, when out pops on me the farmer's wife; and so
she twists her scraggy neck round like a weathercock in a whirlwind,
till at last she hears where Master Redcap wor a gobbling. I'd just time
to creep under a cart, when up she comes; so down goes I on all fours
and growls like a strange dog.

_Nelly._ And one day thou wilt be hung like one.

_Bill._ Every one gets his promotion in time. In goes the woman and
calls her husband; and though on all fours, I warn't a match for two; so
I slinks into a barn and twists the neck of the hanimal, that a might
not peach. Well; farmer comes out, and seeing nought but barn door open,
curses his man for a lazy hound and locks it, then walks home, leaving I
fixed. Warn't that a good un?

_Nelly._ How did'st thou contrive to escape?

_Bill._ I burrowed into the back of the wheat. Two jockies came in at
daylight to thrash----

_Nelly._ And they would have done well to have begun upon the rogue in
grain.

_Bill._ Thank ye, mistress. But, howsomdever, the farmer came wi 'um,
and a waundy big dog that stagged me, and barked like fury. "There be
summut there," says farmer; so I squealed like a dozen rats in the
wheat. "Rats agen," says he. "Tummus, go fetch the ferrets; and Bob, be
you arter the terriers. I'll go get my breakfast, and then we'll rout
un out. Come, Bully." But Bully wouldn't, till farmer gave un a kick
that set un howling; and then out they all went, and about a minute
arter I makes a bolt. Terrible fuss about a turkey; warn't it, Nell?

_Nelly._ Hast thou seen Richard?

_Bill._ Never put eyes on him since we parted last night; but, as his
tongue is as well hung as he will be himself, he'll gie ye a triple bob
major, for here he comes.

_Enter Dick, pulls out two geese, and flings them down._

_Dick._ Ah, missus, I sha'n't last long. I shall soon be scragged. I'm
growing honest. Out of a flock of forty, I've only prigged two. To make
amends, I did gnaw off the heads of two more, and so the foxes will have
the credit of the job.

_Bill._ That was well thought of, my pal.

_Dick._ May I one day grow honest, if I don't make up for last night's
paltry prig. Come, let's have one roasted, missus--I prefers roast
goose. Honest hanimal! only fit to be plucked and eaten. I say, missus,
I stumbled on a cove this morning, that I thinks will prove a bleeding
cull,--honest hani